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Brandon Steiner says "You Gotta Have Balls"

Growing up in a poor Brooklyn, NY neighborhood, Brandon Steiner came from humble beginnings. Now 25 years later, Steiner Sports Marketing is proud to be celebrating their 25th Anniversary as the most successful sports marketing and memorabilia brand in the industry.

Success didn’t come easy, and Steiner soldiered through countless peaks and valleys – both professionally and personally, forcing him to reinvent himself. Along the way, he developed into a bona fide sports marketing guru having created many innovative approaches to business. Steiner shares his journey and business lessons in, You Gotta Have Balls: How a Kid from Brooklyn Started From Scratch, Bought Yankee Stadium, and Created a Sports Empire (September 2012; ISBN: 9781118172070; Hardcover & E-Book; $24.95).

With his instinctive desire to learn, work hard, and dream big – every day is game day for Steiner. From his first job with the neighborhood fruit stand, to his paperboy duties for the New York Daily News - Steiner always finds himself asking, “What Else?”, as if there is always more to pursue. This mentality prepared Steiner for several successful partnerships including relationships with Notre Dame Football and the New York Yankees which led to the 2008 purchase and demolition of the Old Yankee Stadium.

Steiner will never forget his mother’s favorite phrase, “You gotta have balls”. Having much respect for her as a mother and mentor, those words have not only been rooted in his life but approach to business. Now as the title of his second book, You Gotta Have Balls teaches the philosophies that have allowed Steiner to become the industry force he is today, including:

Why being first to market is everything

The importance of aligning people with their strengths

Always ask “What Else?” when working with clients to enhance relationships

Don’t expand just to expand; do it within industries where your passion lies

Train employees while they’re in the minor leagues to prepare them for the majors

Find your passion through commitment, as opposed to the other way around

Throughout You Gotta Have Balls, Steiner includes stories and lessons from successful sports figures including Derek Jeter, Hank Aaron, Mariano Rivera and Mark Messier, and often compares those lessons to the game of sports. Steiner believes very strongly and advises readers, “to play the game, and not the score” – be committed, and stay passionate even if you’re losing.

Steiner is often asked how he got started. Although there is not a moment to answer that question, he typically replies “commitment”. Over the course of his life, Steiner has been committed to countless endeavors – all adding up to his success. If asked to sum up the business of Steiner Sports in one sentence, Steiner would reply, “Steiner Sports is the number-one collector of autographs in the world. In some 25 years, we have bought and sold almost 20 million autographs – and set up over 35,000 athlete appearances.”

Steiner’s career makes for a long conversation; You Gotta Have Balls is not only his attempt at making a personal introduction with his readers but hopes to lead them out of the nosebleed section.